Chapter 6 My Wife Still Cares About Me

My parents were divorced, and I grew up in a single-parent home. So, I knew exactly what it was like to grow up in that kind of environment. My parents separated early on, and out of spite, my father fought for my custody only to remarry and have another daughter, which was Alexis. I was nothing more than discarded trash in that house. If William really had something going on with Alexis, once we divorced, they'd definitely end up together. Neither William nor Charlie knew what kind of person she was, but I did. If she had a child with William, Charlie's life would be even worse than mine had been. Since I had gone through that experience, I couldn't let my child walk the same painful path. "There's really nothing going on between me and Alexis. If you're upset, just hit me." As he spoke, William grabbed my hand and slapped himself across the face. He didn't hold back, and a red mark instantly appeared on his cheek. "Go on, hit me more." "I don't want to." I didn't want to get my hands dirty. He grinned as he took me into my arms. "I can tell that you still care about me." Just as he leaned forward, I turned my face away and clenched my fists. "I can pretend none of this happened. But I want you to prove to me that things really are as you say." "Okay. I'll prove it to you." William lifted his hand in a solemn oath. The next second, he smiled and asked, "Can you stop being angry now? My face still hurts." He came closer, and his breath warmed my skin. I closed my eyes in disgust. "I'm going downstairs to see whether the soup is ready. It's time to eat." "I'll go too. I'll ask Alexis to leave and not stay for lunch." He headed downstairs first. When I went downstairs, Alexis had already left. Charlie stood before William, his small face flushed. He was evidently agitated over something. When he saw me, he dashed over and punched my stomach. "I hate you! You're a horrible woman! Since you won't let Aunt Alexis eat here, I won't eat either!" He was remarkably strong for a child, and his punch hurt. Then, he abruptly shoved me and rushed upstairs. I was already feeling uncomfortable, and with that push, I lost balance and tumbled down the stairs. It wasn't a long fall, but I twisted my ankle. The pain was so intense that tears welled up in my eyes. A loud bang echoed as a door slammed shut upstairs. Wiliam rushed forward and scooped me in his arms. His expression darkened as he shouted, "Charlie! How could you push your mother? Get down here right now!" He looked guilty as he said to me, "This is all my fault. I had no idea Charlie was listening in on my conversation with Alexis." "What did he hear?" I pressed him eagerly. "Probably everything." His gaze wavered slightly. "I just told Alexis that we've been seeing each other too much lately and that you misunderstood. I said I didn't want you to be upset, so I asked her to leave." Upon hearing that, I let out a bitter laugh. I opened my mouth to say something, and then I realized it didn't matter. Charlie and I already had a strained relationship. Adding this on top would only push us apart further. William had always been cautious in handling things, so I couldn't understand why he'd been so irresponsible with this. I didn't know what his intention was, but I didn't have any energy left to figure it out. "Okay, okay. This is all my fault. Let's not discuss this right now. Are you in pain? Let me grab some ointment for your bruise." "There's no need for that." I forced out those words weakly. But he refused to listen. "No way. Bone injuries take a long time to heal. You'll need the ointment." His concern didn't seem fake. Seeing him like this brought back so many memories. Back when we were in university, I was the most admirable beauty in my course and pursued by many. William wasn't my type at all. But to win me over, he once walked four miles through heavy snow at 5:00 am just to buy me a limited-edition plushie for my birthday. Over the years, I had felt his love in countless ways. Yet now, this same man, who had once loved me so deeply, had betrayed me in the blink of an eye.